Bottom of the Box
by TwiOTHLuver
Summary: Brooke Davis is broken and only one person can help her out of her darkness. But what happens when she forgets to look at the bottom of the box? Brucas One-Shot.


**Okay so this is a one-shot I had written for a contest a couple months back and I just came across it. So, I wnated to share it with you guys. It's not good in my opinion but I'll let you guys judge that. So, enjoy and don't forget to review!**

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It was dark outside. The rain falling heavy on outside the house. The white couch was her best friend that night as she sat down enjoying _The Notebook._ Her baggy sweatpants and sweater enveloped in her body warmth and away from the cold outside. Her feet lay on the glass table, the bunny ears from her slippers sticking up. Next to her feet lay a bowl of popcorn and bottle of orange soda. Basically, she was having her own _Brooke _night.

Her best friend was engaged to the boy she was secretly _in love_ with. But of course no one knew that. Not even her godson who seemed to be her only confidant these days. In fact, she was keeping a lot of secrets. One, being her mother was threatening to take her company away. Two, she knew Victoria had something to do with her attack. Three, she took in a troubled teenager who was more of an adult than she was. But the only secret that seemed to be really itching at her was the fact that she was still in love with Lucas Scott. The boy she knew she could never have. It was like some sick and twisted version of Romeo and Juliet. Except the Romeo in her story was in love with her best friend.

She scratches a bruise on her arm and watches as Noah and Ally kiss in the rain. It's something beautiful all right and she's brought back to the time where she and Lucas did that. When he admitted his undying love for her in the middle of the worst thunderstorm to ever hit Tree Hill. She had gotten mad at his for words he had written to both her and her curly headed best friend. Like a crazy person she ran out into the rain where he followed. He stated reasons he loved her that night. And even more when they had made love later on. It had been the most beautiful thing. After almost a year of not having him again he was hers. But she had allowed that to slip away when her blonde friend admitted to being in love with the only boy she could give her heart to.

She's broken out of her thoughts when the doorbell rings. She sighs and drops her feet to the ground thinking it may be Sam who forgot her key again. The girl never remembers her key and she had promised to be home by now even though Brooke would have preferred to stay at her friends house until the storm passed. She pauses the movie on the love scene and walks toward the door. When she opens it she's surprised to see not Sam but her blonde ex-boyfriend who manages to make her heart stop whenever he's near.

"Lucas?" It's the first words she's spoken in six hours. It comes out raspy and scratched. He gives her his shy schoolboy smile and holds up a brown paper bag.

"Brought you some soup." He simply says scratching the back of his head in his nervous habit. And then she knows he's here because of something else. Not just to bring her soup. No matter how nice that would have been. So in true Brooke Davis fashion she kinks an eyebrow and smirks.

"Really? Come in." She states as she grabs the bag from him and opens the door for him to enter. She's surprised when he turns away and bends down for a moment. He turns towards her holding a small cardboard box and wearing a very nervous expression. He walks in, takes off his coat, and sits himself on the couch. She follows after closing the door to keep the rain out.

"How are you feeling?" He questions instantly once she has made herself comfortable on the other end of the couch. The box is lying at his feet and her mind begins to wonder what's inside of it. But she knows Lucas will tell her because there is a reason why he brought that box. She just has to wait.

"I don't know Lucas. I have two broken ribs, a black eye, and a lot of bruises. How would you feel?" it comes out sarcastic. And she curses herself because she doesn't mean to sound bitter but ever since the attack she's felt weak. And she hated feeling weak. She was strong and independent. She was tough. If she could make it through two heartbreaks she could make it through an attack. Although no one seemed to be helping her. They would just ask how she was and make her seem like a small child.

"Sorry." He apologizes as he looks down at his feet embarrassed. And she can't help but smile when he does this. He looks like a little five year old who just got caught stealing a cookie.

"It's okay. You were just trying to be nice." Brooke shrugs her shoulders. He looks up at the sound of her voice and she gives him a kind smile and touches his hand that lays on her beige blanket. "What are you doing here Luke in the middle of a storm?" She asks quietly. She can't keep the question inside any longer. The small talk will annoy her and she'll snap if he doesn't get to the point of his visit.

"Jake's back." He says simply as if Brooke should already know this piece of news. She tucks her feet underneath her and gets even more comfortable knowing this may be a long night. But it doesn't stop her from smiling.

"Jagleski. Really?" Brooke says happily as she thinks of her old brunette friend. True, they weren't close but Brooke still considered him a friend. He was a good guy. And he took great care of her best friend. And then that's when her smile falters. _Peyton._ "Where's Peyt?" Brooke asks as she looks at Lucas worriedly. She hadn't talked to Peyton in almost two weeks. Ever since she got out of the hospital and into a huge argument with her.

"The engagement is off." He answers as he looks down at his hands. She can't hold in her gasp at this. No matter how in love she might have been with Lucas, she knew that Peyton had fought so hard to get him back and now she just ended things. This was sudden and unexpected.

"Oh Luke! I'm so sorry." She sympathizes as she grabs his hand and puts her other over her heart as if she's just been shot. She wants to hug him really but she's not sure if that's the best idea right now. So she just settles for squeezing his hand and looking at him sadly. She looks up surprised when she hears him start to chuckle. Her look of surprise and confusion makes him laugh even harder.

"Actually Brooke _I _broke it off with her." Lucas tells her as he removes her hand from his. He lets out a loud sigh when he sees the look she gives him and he knows he has to explain himself. "I just felt like we were going in different directions. I wanted to settle down and start a family. And she wanted to continue with her record company. Also, we just realized we aren't the same people we fell in love with. And she agreed. Our hearts weren't in the relationship. So, she's taking another chance with Jake and I'm happy for her." Lucas explains a little to calmly for Brooke. But as she processes his words she just knows it Lucas being the good guy that he is. He may not be in love with Peyton anymore but he wants her to be happy. And for that she loves him even more.

"Oh. Well I feel completely stupid." She says as her cheeks tint red and she looks down at her hands biting her lip. But then she feels his rough hand against her cheek and she looks up into his deep blue eyes. She gets lost in them everytime.

"Your not stupid Brooke." He says with a genuine smile. She leans into his palm and closes her eyes. She wants to stay like this forever. Just him holding her like he used to. But then she remembers the box and she becomes curious once again.

"What's inside the box?" She asks opening up her eyes and nodding toward the box as his hand drops to the couch. He looks down at it with a shy smile before he bends down to retrieve. He sets it in between the two of them and puts his hands on the flaps.

"Peyton and I had a talk after she found this in the back of my closet. That's when we decided to end things. Now Brooke I'm going to get all this off my chest and I'm just going to need you to listen to me. Okay? Just listen." He almost instructs her. She just nods; ready to hear what he has to say. "Over these last couple of months you and I have grown closer. Closer than we ever were. We've talked. We've confided in eachother. And we've each been there to comfort eachother when times get rough. I had my family with you and Angie. It was perfect. For a while now I've been keeping these feelings inside but it's time for me to be honest with you and myself. And to do that I need to let you know what's inside the box." Lucas explained to Brooke as he looked into her eyes.

He opened the box slowly and Brooke had to catch the gasp that was coming out of her mouth. Inside were various pictures of him and her. The coaster from the blue post, the necklace she gave him junior year, his best man speech from Keith's wedding. Her speech from Nathan and Haley's wedding. A red feather from her devil Halloween costume. The apron she wore the night of the thunderstorm. Karen's engagement ring she wore that night in New York. A piece of her raven's pom poms. The leopard print bra she gave him when she first met him. Inside was her 86 letters she wrote him the summer before senior year. Inside was the purple monkey. She looked up at him with tears lining her eyes. Giving him a questioning gaze she pleaded this wasn't what it looked like. It couldn't be.

"This." He starts pointing toward the open box. "This is my Brooke box. I keep almost every memory of you and me. Us. In here. I've kept this hidden in the back of my closet for the longest time. Occasionally I would add things. But I can't hide it anymore because hiding would be running away from my feelings and I refuse to run anymore. With you Brooke I see a future. In you I see our kids. You were the first one there when my dreams came true. You've supported me though tough decisions and never once judged me. You've loved me no matter what differences we had. You loved me unconditionally. And I've been lying to myself for a while now because I love you to. My hearts been flawed Brooke because I haven't been honest with myself. But you're the one Brooke. You've always been the one. I want to wake up every morning beside you and go to sleep every night with you in my arms. I want two boys and a girl with you. I'll coach little league and you'll back treats or buy them. I want you Brooke. All of you." Lucas said as he moved closer to her. Brooke looked at him as a single tear fell from her eyes.

"Lucas." She whispered as she looked into his baby blue eyes. He smiled letting her know to take her time. And she smiled back sadly. She was hurt because of what she was about to do. But she had to do it. It just wasn't right. "I'm sorry. I can't do this. Not to Peyton and not myself. I love you to and I always have BUT love isn't enough anymore Lucas. It's so much more than that. I'm sorry." She says as another tear slips down and then another and then another. Lucas looks at her sadly and nods his head.

"I'll always be here." He whispered in her ear as he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. Grabbing his coat he made his way toward the door as Brooke held her face where he kissed it. And right before he opened the door to leave he turns and looks at Brooke. "There was something you missed at the bottom." He tells her quietly as he points toward the box and then before Brooke can even blink he's gone.

Brooke tears her blurry eyes away from the door and looks at the box. She reaches in and pulls everything out. And there at the bottom of the box was one single letter with her name on it. Opening the letter slowly she let out a sob when she read the eight words on the piece of papers.

_I'm still the guy for you, Brooke Davis._

And without hesitation she hops up from her seat. She doesn't care that she's in her cherished bunny slippers or that she looks a mess. And she doesn't care for the fact that she has two broken ribs as she slips out of the front door and into the cold storm. She just runs and she runs as fast as she can.

"Lucas!" She shouts once she gets to the end of the driveway. He stops when he hears her voice and turns slowly to face her. And before he can say anything she runs into his arms and hugs him. "I'm still the girl for you, Lucas Scott." She mumbles seconds before his lips come crashing down on hers. And in that kiss she feels their past, present and future. And she knows that love's the key now. Because no matter what they'll always love eachother.


End file.
